Electric welding machine



March 7', A1944. F. MAR-rlNDEl- L V 2,343,686

' ELECTRIC WELDING MACHINE Filed Sepvt. 4, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 'Ih '1W'` @a as 4s 25 22 /s /a 2224254.- 6/ 83 -H l5 6955 7)-f4s 25 22 A 221V/6.2 Lis "9 ATTORNEY March 7,. 1944. F, MARTINDELL 2,343,686

ELECTRIC WELDING MACHINE Filed sept. 4; 15542 4 sheets-sheet 2 A Tron/vir r mm mm ww 8 www .ezA

March 7, 1944 F. MARlNDl-:LL 2,343,686

- ELECTRIC WELDING MACHINE Filed Sept.y 4, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 4

- /NvfNToR f.' MART/Noni.

ATTORNEY March 7, 1944. F. MARTIMDELL y' v*2,343,686

ELECTRIC WELDING MACHINE Filed sept. 4, 1942 4 s neetsfsneet 4 A TTORNEY.

' Patented Mu. 7, .1944' UNITED STATES PATENT ori-'ics 2,343,686 lanrc'rnrc WELDING MACHINE Frank Maarssen, western springs. nn, einer to Western Electric Company, Incorporated. New York, N. Y., acorporation o! New York Application September 4, 1942, Serial No. 457,243

9 Claims.

This invention relates to electric welding machines, and more particularly to machines for welding contacts to switch springs or other elements of electrical apparatus.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved and highly efcient electric welding mal chine of the type referred to.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an electric contactwelding machine is provided which comprises a pair of opposed welding electrodes mounted for oscillatory movement toward and away from each other by being supported on the free ends of a series of metal reeds or fiat springs which also serve to conduct the Welding current to the welding electrodes. The machine further comprises means for intermittently advancing two strips of contact metal to will be apparent from the following detailed de-v scription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which .A

Fig.' l is a plan view of a contact welding machine embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken online 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on line 6-5 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 6,-7 and 8 are enlarged detail sectional views taken on lines 6, 1-1, and .-8, respectively, oi Fig. and

Figs. 9 and 10 are pian and elevation views,

respectively, of a switch spring having contacts welded to opposite sides thereof by means of the welding machine of Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is capable of welding simultaneously to opposite sides oi a switch spring l5 (Figs. 9 and 10), two bar type contacts i6, I6 previously severed by the machine from two continuous strips 2l, 2l of contact metal drawn from a supply roll 2i (Fig. 1)'. The machine comprises two circular movement toward and away-from each other in the manner hereinafter described. The switch spring is placed on a shelf-like supporting bracket I8 which is provided with a plurality of pins or projections I9, -IS for' locatingv and holding the switch spring in an edgewise position, with an end portion thereof disposed between the two welding electrodes, as best shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

Each of the welding electrodes is clamped to a circular head portion 24 of a horizontal electrode supporting bar 25 which is secured to the freeupper ends of a series of vertically disposed metal reeds or iiat springs 2B, 26 (Fig. 4). At their lower ends, these ilat springs are anchored to L-shaped metal blocks 21, 21 iixed to a base plate 2B.- Thus, due to the iiexibility o! the electrode supporting springs 2l, the two welding electrodes are capable of oscillatory movement toward and away from each other. Moreover, since the electrode supporting springs are exible in one plane only, they permit movement of the welding elec-` trodes in one plane only and, thus, serve to guide `the electrodes in their movements toward and away from each other so that the guideways usually provided for this purpose may be eliminated. The electrode supporting springs also -serve to conduct the welding current from the,

xed blocks 21 to the movable welding electrodes.

By means of suitable bus bars 2l. portions of I which are shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the .welding current is conducted to the-blocks 21 from a suitable current supply source (not shown).

It will be obvious that the spring mounting blocks 21 may be positioned on the base plate so that the springs will be tensioned so as to urge the two electrodes either towardfeach other or away from each other. However, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention.' separate means are provided for moving the velectrodes toward and away from each other. Thus. for

moving the electrodes toward each other, there is associated with each o! the electrode supporting plunger Il which bears againsta depending lug Il on the tail end of the electrode supporting bar. Each of the plungers is housed in a casing 32 which is adiustably mounted, as shown in Fig. 4', in the upperend oi a vertical supporting plate Il secured to the base plate.

The welding electrodes are moved away from each other and are held in their retracted piwelding electrodes 22, 22 which are mounted for u trode. Each of these solenoid: is operatively connected to the associated electrode supporting bar through a bell crank 36 rotatably mounted on a vertical supporting post Il (Figs. 2 and 4); Each of the bell cranks comprises a long horizontal arm 38 and a short vertical arm 38. The horizontal arm is pivotally connected by means of a link 4U to the plunger Il of the as sociated solenoid 35, and the vertical arm carries a roller 43 which bears against a depending lug M on the forward end of the electrode supporting bar. The vertical arms of the two bell cranks are interconnected by a coil spring l5 which serves to counter-balance the weight f the bell cranks, so that this weight is not required to be overcome by the electrode operating plungers I0. Thus, upon deenergization of the solenoids 35, the welding electrodes me quickly moved toward each other under the .forces of the spring pressed plungers 30, winch forces may be adjusted by simply'adjusting the positions oi' `the plunger casings 32 in the supporting plate 33.

Each of the electrode supporting bars 2E is formed with a longitudinal bore Il {Flgti :for slidably accommodating a knife carrying bar 4B, the forward end of which is oiIset so that o. shoulder I8 is provided for engaging the forward end of the electrode supporting bar to limit outward movement of the knife carrying bar. A cliisel like knife 50 is secured to the offset forward end of each knife supporting bar, and it wili looted by referring to Fig. that the knives 5t slidabiy engage the iiat back surfaces of the welding elec trodes 22. An adjustable gib 52 is provided in the bore 41 of each of the electrode 'supporting bars for holding the knife in close sliding en.- gagement with the back surface of the electrode.

Each of the knivesis heid in its .retracted position by a coil 'spring 53 which is compressed between a shoulder 54 on associated knife carrying bar 4l and a shoulder 55 in the bore l1 of associated electrode supporting bar 25.

The outer end of each knife carrying bar 48 extends beyond the outer end of the associated electrode supporting bar and is adapted to be engaged by a roller il (Fig. 4) on a vertical rocker arm 5I secured to a horizontal shaft 6l rotatably journaled in supporting plate 33. A stop pin Il on plate 32 limits clockwise movement of this rocker arm and a spring Si holds the rocker arm against the stop pin. A horizontal arm Il is secured at one end to the shaft 8p and is provided at its outer end with an adjustable abutment screw Il whichis adapted to be struck by a plunger l1 of an electrical solenoid II, whereby the shaft Il is rocked counterclockwise thereby causing rocker arm 5l to oper,- ate the knife bar Il. An adjustable stop pin 68 on plate 33 is adapted to be engaged by arm 54 to. limit the counter-clockwise movement of the rock shaft Il.

'Ihe contact strip feeding mechanism comprises a tubular spindle il (Figs. 3 and 5), which is endwise siidable in a sleeve or tubular. casing 10, the latter being slidable in a guide block 'Il secured to a vertical supporting plate 1l. At the forward end of the spindle 1l there is attached a chuck' Il comprising 4a rigid tongue-like center Jaw Il (Fig. 5) and two pivoted jaws B2, l2 on opposite sides of the rigid Jaw. l'llhe two contact strips 2l pass through the spindle and emerge therefrom on opposite 4sides of the rigid chuck Jaw Il, and each of the pivoted laws is adapted to cooperate with the rigid Jaw to grip one of the contact strips. The pivoted .jaws are formed with tapered outer surfaces Il, Il and the for lil asa

ward end of casing 'i6 is formed with an internal tapered surface 84 for cooperating 'with `the tapered surfaces 83 of the pivoted laws to close them when the chuck together with the spindle is shifted toward the right (Fig. 3) relative to the casina.

The spindle and chuck are normallyurged tom "ward 'the right lFig. 3) by a coil spring 86 which .serves 'to yleidably hold the cinici.: jaws their clamping positions. This spring eucircics 'the spindle and is compressed between. the ci ci: and a spacer bushing fil disposed in. tht :il enc portion oi casing lli. litndlwioe u'aovem it oi' the spindle toward the left against op g torce oi spring B6 is accomplished by on .cioci il solenoid M. .A plunger 9i sol oo nested by a link 92 to a .horisonta f hell crank 94 which is pivoted at oT.- s pporting 4Mnate i3. A bifurcated 'vertical arm iii of this hell crank is adapted to engage a iluluged collar fill on the tail end oi" the spindle to s. it the latter toward the left when the bell cra? is rocked counter-clockwise by solenoid Bil. adjuststop screw IM limits couuterelockwise iiiovement of the bell crank 34 and clockwise movement thereof is limited by a similar adjustable stop screw lill. 4A coil spring iil yieldably holds the bell crank against emp screw lili.

"l'he casing 'i8 is yieldably urged toward the right (Fig. 3) vby an adjustable coll spring N5 and an external shoulder Hi8 on the casing cooperates with an internal shoulder lill in guide block il to limit the extent of endwise movement of 'the casing under the force of the spring. An extermal shoulder M9 on the tail euri oi the casing is adapted to be engaged by a bifurcated end or a 'vertical rocker arm IM) which is secured to a horizontal shaft H2 rotatably Journalier! in supporting plate 18. Also secured to shaft iii is a horizontal arm' ill which is connected by a link il! to a plunger lil of an electrical solenoid ill. Thus, when this solenoid 'is energized, the shaft together with rocker arm 8B is rotated in a countea-clockwise direction, thereby ietractng the casing 'il toward the leit (Fig. 3). An adjustable stop screw Il! limits the extent of counter-clock- 'wise movement of the bell crank, whereby the retractionof the casing il is also limited.

In the operation of the machine, the solenoids Il normally hold the two welding electrodes 22 in their retracted positions against the opposing i'orce of the spring pressed plungers 20, and solenoid Ill normally holds the contact strip feeding mechanism in its retracted position against the opposing force of spring M5. The chuck carrying spindle 1l is held in its retracted position by solenoid which is opposed by the spring Il. Upon deenergization of this solenoid, the spindle is moved toward the right (Fig. 3) by spring Il. whereby the chuck jaws are caused to firmly grip the two contact metal strips in the manner described above. Then, solenoid ill is deenergized, whereupon the spring Iii! moves the entire contact strip feeding mechanism toward the right to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus inserting the end portions of the two contact strips 2l between the two electrodes and on opposite sides of 'a switch spring Il placed by the operator on the support Il. Solenoids I5 are then deenergized, whereupon the spring pressedplungers 3l .move the two welding electrodes toward each other thus clamping the end portions ot the two contact metal strips to opposite sides of the switch spring. Next, solenoid IB isenergized and thereby caused to retract the chuck carrying spindle,

thus releasing tliel chuck jaws 82 after which solenoid Ill is energized and thereby caused to retract the entire contact strip feeding mechanism rearwardly along the clamped contact strips.

Immediately following the clamping of the contact strips to opposite sides of the switch spring, solenoids 68 are momentarily energized and thereby caused to operate the knives 50 to sever the clamped end portions from the continuous contact, metal strips, after which the knives are retracted by the springs I (Fig. 5). The severed end portions of the contact metal strips are then electrically weldedto opposite-sides of the switch spring, the welding current being conducted to the electrodes by the nexible electrode supporting reeds 28. After the welding operation, solenoids 35 are energized and thereby caused to retract the welding electrodes, thus completing an operating cycle of the machine.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments thereof herein illustrated and described but is capable of other applications within the scope or the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In an electric welding machine, a movable electrode, and a plurality of resilient electrical conducting elements for movably supporting and guiding said electrode and for conducting a welding current thereto.

2. In an electric welding machine, a movable electrode, and a plurality of resilient electrical conducting elements for movably supporting and guiding said electrode and for conducting a weldv ing current thereto, said electrode supporting elements being flexible in one plane only.

3. In an electric welding machine, a movable electrode, a plurality oi' resilient electrical cony ducting elements for movably supporting and guiding said electrode and for conducting a weld.-

-ing current thereto.

ing current thereto, an electrical solenoid for moving said electrode in one direction, and a spring for-urging the electrode in the opposite direction.

4. In an electric welding machine, a movable electrode, and a plurality of resilient elements for supporting and guiding said electrode for oscillatory movement, said electrode supporting elements being exible in one lplane only.

5. In any electric welding machine, a movable electrode, and a plurality of fiat springs for supporting said electrode for oscillatory movement and for conducting a welding current thereto.

6. In an electric welding machine, a support, a plurality of resilient electrical'conducting elements, each attached at one end to the support, said elements being flexible in one plane only,

Aand. a welding electrode secured to the opposite ends of said elements and supported and solely by said elements.

7. In an electric welding machine, a support, a plurality 'of spaced parallel ilat springs, each attached at one end to the support. and a movable welding electrodel secured to the opposite ends of said springs and supported and guided solely by said springs. i

8. In an electric welding machine, a pair of opposed movable electrodes, and a plurality of spaced parallel metal reeds for conducting a welding current to said electrodes and for supporting and guiding said electrodes for movements toward and away from each other in parallel planes only. said reeds constituting the sole supportingand guiding means for said electrodes.

9. In an electric welding machine, a movable guided welding electrode, and a plurality ot spaced parallel `metal reeds for movably supporting and guiding said electrode and for conducting a weld- FRANK MARI'INDELL. 

